


Something Borrowed, Something Blue

by bruises



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Punk, College, Grunge Simon, M/M, Punk Kieren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-16 15:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2275104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bruises/pseuds/bruises
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon stumbles into his literature class late and the only spot left is next to someone with a Ramones patch sewn to the pack of their denim vest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Borrowed, Something Blue

He’s late to his lecture again. It’s the third time this week that Simon has failed show up to his first lecture class on time. He blames it on the fact that his lectures take place at eight in the morning and when he’s going to bed at three because he has so many assignments and exams to study for, getting five hours of sleep really isn’t ideal.

Simon slides his arms through the sleeves of his leather jacket, hoping that his acid wash shirt looks alright, and slings his backpack over his shoulder. As he rushes out the front door without eating breakfast, he mentally cusses at himself for majoring in literature.

When he arrives in the lecture hall, a few heads turn around to look at him, as to tell him off for being late. The professor continues talking like Simon hadn’t just arrived to his class late (again) so Simon looks around the room for a place to sit.

To his dismay, the only spot available is at the end of a row with some punk kid, Simon suspects judging by the Ramones patch sewn to the back of his studded denim vest, sitting right beside the empty seat. When Simon does show up for class early, he’s usually lucky. Usually some kid just happens to be absent so he can sit by himself but not today –it seems as though everyone is in class.

The professor clears his throat and looks up at Simon, snapping him out of his thoughts. He’s stopped what he’s saying and he’s looking right at Simon, so naturally, majority of the class (except for that punk kid, Simon notes) turns around to look right at him.

“Mr. Monroe, are you going to take a seat or are you going to stand there for the rest of the lecture?” The professor asks, his voice thick with annoyance.

Simon rushes over to the empty seat and avoids making eye contact with anyone. “Sorry, Sir.”

With a roll of his eyes, the professor turns around and walks back to his podium, probably to revise his notes. “You can see me after class.”

Simon knows not to say anything back so he turns around to unzip his backpack. Simon gets out his notebook and searches through his backpack to find a pen but unfortunately, he doesn’t find one.

“ _Really_?” Simon mutters, not believing how awful his luck has been today.

“Is everything alright?” Simon hears a small voice whisper from beside him.

He looks up to see a man, a little younger than him perhaps, looking at him with a soft gaze. Simon remembers him as the punk kid sitting beside the only spare seat. When Simon notices that he’s staring, he looks away and clears his stutters quietly.

“I, uh, I forgot to bring a pen.”

The man smiles back and hands Simon his blue pen. “Keep this one, I’ll get another. My name’s Kieren, by the way.”

Simon wants to object but Kieren gives him that look that says ‘it’s okay, you can take the pen’. “Thanks, Kieren.”

“Are you talking in my class, Mr. Monroe?” The professor asks.

If looks could kill, Simon thinks. He doesn’t want to aggravate his professor further so he shakes his head and starts taking down notes on the bits and pieces he heard whilst talking to Kieren.

As the class sits there in silence, listening to the professor talking and as they take notes, Simon watches Kieren’s hand draw such beautiful things. They look like portraits – of who, Simon doesn’t know – but they look so detailed and accurate for being drawn using a black ballpoint pen.

Before he can be caught not paying attention for a second time, Simon turns his attention to his professor and listens to him ramble on about Shakespeare for another hour.

Once the class is over, Simon feels like he’s never been happier.  Most of the students start packing up their things so Simon takes that as his cue to do the same.

“Thanks for the pen, Kieren,” Simon says, handing Kieren his pen.

Kieren looks down at the pen and then back at Simon before shaking his head. “How are you meant to go to the rest of your classes without a pen? I said you could keep it, remember?”

Simon thinks back and nods. “Oh, thank you.”

With a smile, Kieren slings his red and black plaid backpack over his shoulder. “See you at lunch near the oak tree on campus?”

“Sure,” Simon replies, probably a bit too quickly.

Kieren makes Simon feel curious, like there’s more to the world than sitting in his dorm reading sad poetry while he listens to Nirvana and The Cranberries. Sure, Simon doesn’t even know Kieren but he seems to be the most interesting person Simon has met in a long time. A guy who wears punk shirts and denim vests but draws portraits while he’s sitting in a literature lecture? Of course he has to be interesting, Simon thinks.

Another clear of throat stops Simon from leaving the room. He sighs silently before turning around to face his professor, who is the last person that he wants to face right now.

“I understand that you wanted to see me after class, but can this wait? I’ve got another lecture to attend,” Simon tells him, hoping to see some leniency from his professor for the first time ever.

Predictably, his professor refuses and grumbles in response. “I’m sure they’re not going to mind you being late; they’re probably used to it.”

For ten minutes his professor tells him that he’s wasting his opportunities –that he’s wasting his life, basically. He tells him that if he doesn’t want to be in a lecture room then he should be somewhere else because there’s no point in doing something that you’re not interested in.

That’s the point though. Simon _is_ interested in literature; if he wasn’t interested in the subject then he wouldn’t have taken advance classes during his last years in high school so he would be able to major in literature when he decided to go to college.

Simon thanks his professor for his advice and tells him that he’ll make an effort to come to his classes on time.

Completely disregarding what he just told his professor, Simon skips his class (that he was already going to be late to) and goes for a walk off campus with a cigarette lit between his fingertips.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think  
> [my tumblr](http://ohfemslash.tumblr.com/)


End file.
